ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II
TO H.E. Mr MOUSTAFA KAMAL EL-DIWANI
AMBASSADOR OF EGYPT TO THE HOLY SEE*

Monday, 10 November 1980

Mr Ambassador,

I am happy to welcome Your Excellency to the Vatican as you present the Letters accrediting you as the Ambassador of Egypt to the Holy See. I thank you for the cordial message which you have addressed to me, especially for your kind words in support of my efforts to promote peace and mutual understanding among all peoples and nations.

On this occasion I ask that you transmit my greetings and best wishes to His Excellency President Sadat. It is my hope that under his leadership the Arab Republic of Egypt will make even greater advances in the paths of progress and development, and that all the people of your country will live together in harmony.

I have followed closely the efforts to build a lasting peace which have been made by President Sadat and the Egyptian Government. And I am happy to receive from you the confirmation that these efforts will continue, despite all difficulties. In fact, precisely because the tensions and dangers have increased in recent times, the work of peace, as you have said, must go on. Indeed it must be intensified until a comprehensive peace is achieved, a peace which provides for an equitable solution to all aspects of the Middle East crisis, including the Palestinian problem and the question of Jerusalem. Any so-called peace which would not take into account all the elements of divergency and which would not ultimately include all the parties who are directly concerned would risk being ineffective and could spark an ever more bitter conflict.

As Your Excellency is aware, Catholics in Egypt desire, as loyal citizens, to contribute to the future development of your country and, together with their brothers and sisters in the Christian faith, they wish to collaborate, in mutual respect and equality of conditions, with all their countrymen of the Muslim faith.

During your stay here, which I trust will be a fruitful one, you may be assured of the interest and cooperation of the Holy See in the accomplishment of your task.

For Your Excellency and for the noble nation which you represent I beg abundant favours from Almighty God.

*AAS 73 (1981), p. 227-228.

Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, vol. III, 2 pp. 1111-1112.

L'Attività della Santa Sede 1980 pp. 738-739.

L’Osservatore Romano 11.11.1980 pp.1, 2.

L'Osservatore Romano. Weekly Edition in English n.47 p.9.

© Copyright 1980 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana